1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a child car seat, and more particularly, to a child car seat to be fixed on a passenger seat of a vehicle with a seat belt of the vehicle and a belt locking apparatus used therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 16, a child car seat 1 includes a child car seat main body (hereinafter simply called xe2x80x9cseat bodyxe2x80x9d) 1a for accommodating a child in a sitting position, a support 1b for being set on a passenger seat of a vehicle to support the seat body 1a in an appropriate posture. The seat body 1a is integrally supported on the support 1b, or is supported for rotation or inclination on the support 1b. 
The child car seat 1 is fixed on a passenger seat by inserting a seat belt 3 together with a tongue plate 4 through a belt insertion opening 2, bored through the support 1b, from the inlet end thereof to expose the tongue plate 4 out of the outlet end of the opening 2, then bringing the tongue plate 4 into engagement with the buckle 5 of the passenger seat, and binding the lap side section 3a and the shoulder side section 3b of the seat belt 3 with a seat belt fastening clip (hereinafter simply called xe2x80x9cclipxe2x80x9d) 6.
The child car seat 1 having the clip 6 as a separate member involves the problem of losing the clip 6. Furthermore, upon fixing the child car seat 1 on a passenger seat, the child car seat 1 requires a user to put his/her weight on it while attaching the clip 6 on the seat belt 3 in one side of the child car seat 1, and this makes fixture of the child car seat 1 annoying.
Taking it into consideration, the applicant proposed a child car seat as shown in FIG. 17, which has an operation aperture 7 to open to the front surface of the seat body 1a and has a clip 8 undetachably held at a position within the opening 7.
This child car seat 1, because of using the undetachable clip 8, does not suffer loss of the clip 8, and it is easy to handle because the seat belt 3 can be fastened from the front side of the child car seat 1.
The child car seat 1, however, is not yet sufficiently easy to handle because it needs insertion of the seat belt 3 between comb-shaped fingers of the clip 8 from their free end side.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a child car seat facilitating attachment of a seat belt thereto, and a belt locking apparatus used therefor.
According to the present invention, there is provided a child car seat to be fixed on a passenger seat of a vehicle with a seat belt of the vehicle, including: a support being set on the passenger seat of the vehicle; a seat body supported on the support; and a belt locking apparatus that clamps the seat belt of the vehicle to fix the support on the passenger seat of the vehicle, the belt locking apparatus including a base, and a lock mechanism receiving the seat belt therein when it is opened relative to the base and to clamp the seat belt when it is closed relative to the base.
The child car seat according to the present invention can be handled very easily upon attaching a seat belt by simply opening the locking mechanism, then putting the seat belt therein, and next closing the lock mechanism.
In a first embodiment of the child car seat according to the present invention, the lock mechanism preferably includes a lock arm disposed for rotation relative to the base to tightly clamp the seat belt between the base and the lock arm when the lock arm is closed relative to the base, thereby preventing a movement of the seat belt in the lengthwise direction thereof.
According to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the seat belt is clamped by rotating the lock arm to its opened position, then putting the seat belt thereon, and thereafter rotating the lock arm back to its closed position, the seat belt can be attached very easily.
In the child car seat according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the belt locking apparatus preferably includes a cam, as well, which is disposed on one of the lock arm and the base for rotation in one direction to prevent a releasing movement of the seat belt while permitting a fastening movement of the seat belt when the lock arm is closed relative to the base.
In this case, since the seat belt can be additionally fastened in the closed lock arm, the child car seat can be fixed on the passenger seat more firmly.
Still in the child car seat according to the first embodiment, the cam preferably has a cam surface including depressions or projections which increase the frictional resistance to the seat belt.
In this case, if the seat belt is going to move in the releasing direction, the contact force between the seat belt and the cam increases, and functions to reliably lock the seat belt.
Yet in the child car seat according to the first embodiment, the belt locking apparatus preferably includes a ridge formed on one of the lock arm and the base to project near the cam within an area for receiving the seat belt when the lock arm is closed.
In this case, the seat belt is tightly pressed into engagement with the cam surface by a ridge, and therefore, its contact area with the cam surface increases.
In the second embodiment of the child car seat according to the present invention, the lock mechanism may include at least two clasping members aligned in parallel for opening and closing motions relative to the base, the base including an elongated terrace portion oriented across the seat belt, the clasping members being located on a tongue plate side portion and a lap belt fixture side portion, respectively, of the seat belt with respect to the terrace portion within the area for receiving the seat belt, each of the clasping members being opened to receive the seat belt on the terrace portion of the base and then being closed to clamp the seat belt between each of the clasping members and the terrace portion of the base, thereby preventing a movement of the seat belt in the lengthwise direction thereof.
According to the second embodiment of the present invention, since the seat belt is clamped by rotating the clasping members to their opened positions, then putting the seat belt thereon, and thereafter rotating the clasping members back to their closed positions, the seat belt can be attached very easily.
In the third embodiment of the child car seat according to the present invention, the lock mechanism may include a lever connected to the base for rotation, a first clasping member fixed on the base, a second clasping member on the base for movements toward and apart from the first clasping member, and a third clasping member disposed on the lever, the clasping members being substantially aligned in parallel to each other, the clasping members under engagement with the seat belt inserted in a weaving fashion being operative when the lever is manipulated such that the third clasping member moves closely to the second clasping member and urges the second clasping member closely to the first clasping member via the seat belt, which results in reducing spaces among respective said clasping members to firmly hold the seat belt between respective said clasping members to prevent a movement of the seat belt in the lengthwise direction thereof.
According to the third embodiment of the present invention, since a large distance is made between the clasping members, the seat belt can be attached or set easily, and nevertheless, the seat belt can be clamped very easily by simply moving the lever.
In the present invention, the belt locking apparatus is preferably disposed in an insertion opening for permitting the seat belt to pass through, and the base of the belt locking apparatus is preferably fixed in the insertion opening.